Mentaiko Mac & Cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Add the end of cooking, reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta but do not rinse.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir to form a thick paste, continue to cook until light golden brown to cook out the raw flour, 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and starchy water and bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer with wifts of steam. Add handfuls of the monterey jack and parmesan, stirring into the sauce in between each addition. Stir in the salt and pepper and continue to stir until the sauce slightly thickens, about 5 minutes. Add pasta shells and toss to full coat. Turn off the heat and add the mentaiko (reserving some for topping) and stir to incorporate.

Serve the mac and cheese with a topping of crushed nori and a dollop of mentaiko!